Dog Training Tips to Eliminate Your Dog’s Boredom and Bad Behavior

Minimize your dog’s bad behavior because he is bored

I was at a training session in Plantation yesterday and they were telling me that their dog just can’t sit still and is always bugging them.  I asked my client what was going on before this bad behavior began and he said, “Nothing, I might be working on my computer for a while and my dog is over in the corner.  He seems fine, just staring at me or looking out the window.  All of a sudden, he gets up and starts nudging me and whining.”

The reason that I am bringing this up in my blog today is because it is a situation that I have heard many times over my years of dog training.  Let’s not focus on the obvious issue of bad behavior, but why your dog started that bad behavior.  He was sitting by himself with nothing to do for a long time and finally said, “This is enough”.  Without anything else to engage, he comes to you to break his boredom.

If you are busy, you don’t have the time to work on that bond.  You must think of another way to eliminate that boredom that eventually causes the inappropriate situation requiring action that you cannot supply at the time.  You must set up a scenario where the boredom does not have a chance to become established.

Here are some suggestions for keeping your canine companion entertained and out of mischief.

•  Empty 12 Oz. Water Bottle:  These are the greatest.  The next time you finish with some bottled water, don’t throw the bottle away.  Take off the cap, the ring around the cap, and the paper.  Give it your dog.  They love the tactile feel of crunching the bottle and the sound that it makes.  The sound isn’t that loud, so it won’t bother you and it isn’t heavy, so it won’t hurt the walls if your dog bounces it off a wall or window.  Most dogs will play with the water bottle for yours.  When it starts to get a little worn out, simply switch bottles.  Free, quick, and easy!
• Scatter Feeding: Turn feeding into a treasure hunt. Scatter a variety of foods (such as whole carrots, peas, broccoli, beans, celery, and apples) around an area. This gives your dog something to forage for as well as some nutritious food to chew on (rather than your furniture. Please remember that you shouldn’t use raisins or grapes because these are very harmful to your dog.  Please check out our Dog Poisons for more information.
• Buster Cube: This award-winning dog toy is a great distraction. Fill the toy with dry kibble or other goodies. As your dog rolls it around on the ground, the kibble falls out from multiple compartments. This motivates your dog work for his food, keeping a brain-active dog busy for hours.
• Kong Toys: This durable rubber toy has a hollow center that can be stuffed with goodies such as kibble, dried liver, cheese, or peanut butter. I recommend that you use unsalted peanut butter.  Cover the Kong Toy hole without filling the entire toy.  Your dog won’t be able to get the food all the way in the back and may become frustrated.  Now, freeze the toy. Your dog now has a “Kongsicle”.  Get several Kongs so you can simply rotate them from your dog to the freezer.  One more note, Kong Toys are all made in the USA.  No part from any of their toys is made in China.

All you have done here is to proactively give your dog something to do to eliminate or extend the time before he becomes bored.  This allows you to get the things you need to accomplish in peace and quiet.  Please remember that this is not a replacement for play time with you.  To maintain your relationship, interactive play time is very important also.  If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in Plantation and South Florida.

Read More..

Dog Training Advice You Can Change Your Dog’s Behavior and Stop Being Embarrassed

Are you the proud owner of a new dog? Looking for some helpful dog training advice to get you started?

Getting a dog is an experience that can change your life. It’s much like welcoming a new (and rather rowdy) member into the family, really; a period of adjustment and change. For people who live alone, it can be a lesson in responsibility, in learning to take care of the needs of another creature. For those with families, the experience can be a lesson in patience, getting along (“Ma, the dog ate my sandwich again!”) and friendship. They’re not called “man’s best friend” for nothing, after all.

Having a dog is a much greater experience for both of you when the dog is disciplined. Dog training advice is essential in order to have a well behaved dog who is pleasant to be around. Starting with house training as well as behavioral training, make your dog one that you will be happy to take anywhere.

Nobody wants a dog who jumps on people all the time, or a dog who barks or growls continually. It can get very frustrating and annoying for you and others. These are all signs of aggression which are not healthy for your dog, and can be very embarrassing for you. Some small dogs get away with a lot more aggressive behavior because of their size.

I adore my two wiener dogs, and wouldn’t change them for anything. However, I realized that they had dominant behavior which was causing trouble at the dog park, as well as when I had people over and they would jump all over them.

One day I decided to take charge and address these problems. A trainer would have been very expensive, so that was out of the question. I was able to find the excellent dog training advice that I much needed and today I can enjoy my pups a lot more and don’t have to worry that they will cause trouble and embarrassment.

It is very important to address your dog’s habits. Here is the dog training advice that I found that will easily teach you how to effectively change your dog’s behavior. For more information, feel free to use this great resource on dog training advice.

Read More..

Puppy Training 3 Management Routines as a Training Tool

Dogs thrive on routine. Sometimes unwanted behaviors can be prevented by adopting regular routines that dogs become accustomed to. While training specific behaviors is important in molding a young dog into a great companion, management also plays a major role.

Roscoe, a 17-week old chocolate Labrador Retriever, arrives at TLC Dog Training Puppy Boot Camp for an intensive two-week training adventure. Roscoe is a sweet puppy, but he is very rowdy, and he must touch everyone that he meets with his BIG paws. Roscoe lives with a family with two boys, ages 7 and 10. The adults in Roscoes family have had Labradors before, and they are committed to teaching Roscoe how to be great family companion, but sometimes lack the time and the expertise to deal with rowdy Roscoes less than stellar behavior.

At TLC Dog Training, Roscoe lives in a crate in the house. When he comes into the main living area, he is on leash and closely supervised so that he doesnt have an opportunity to have a potty accident. He also has a large 10 x 10 outdoor pen, complete with a cot for sunning. Mornings begin around 7:00 a.m., when Roscoe and as many as two other dogs also in for training are turned outside for their morning bathroom break.

While the dogs are outside, trainer Leslie Carpenter prepares the dogs training treats for the morning training sessions. Leslie returns the dogs to their crates after 20 minutes, and she then takes each dog from his or her crate and works each dog. Puppies like Roscoe train for about 10 - 15 minutes, while dogs older than 6 months may train for 20-30 minutes.

Morning training sessions include walks along a country lane with many distractions such as horses, other dogs, slow moving cars, and scents of wildlife. Roscoe will learn to sit quietly before he may leave his crate or pen, to sit quietly for greeting, and to sit quietly before proceeding through a gate. At first he doesnt know enough to wait in a doorway while Leslie walks through first, but over the two-week training period, he will gradually learn that "SIT" means sit and stay until he is told to do something else like "LETS GO" through the gate, and "DOWN" means down and stay until he is released or asked to do something else. Roscoe will also learn to come when called and to walk on a loose leash.

After the training sessions, Roscoe and the other dogs return to their crates to cogitate on what they have learned while Leslie prepares their breakfast. Fifteen to twenty minutes after the dogs return to their crates following training, Leslie feeds them in their crates and gives them about 20 minutes to eat. Then she picks up their bowls and takes them to their outside runs to enjoy the remainder of the morning.

Young puppies like Roscoe need to be fed three times per day, so about 12:00 p.m., Leslie returns the puppies to their crates and feeds them their noon meal. Older dogs receive a biscuit and remain outdoors to enjoy the Carolina sun. About twenty minutes after eating, the puppies return to their outdoor runs.

Around 4:00 p.m. Leslie prepares the afternoon training treats. Roscoe and the other dogs return to their crates and are then worked one-by-one in their afternoon training sessions. As each dog completes his afternoong training session, he returns to his crate to reflect on his training session. About 20-30 minutes after training, Leslie feeds each dog his evening ration.

The dogs then go outside for an individual romp in the paddock, followed by lounging time on the cot in their individual pens. Since Roscoes owners have indicated that they would like for him to have interactive playtime with other dogs, he and a compatible canine companion are given about 30 minutes for interactive playtime in the paddock.

Roscoe and his friend come into the house around 9:00 p.m. for final biscuits and bedtime.

Read More..